Artificial Reefs

[chesters1]

hoorah ,RUUD LUBBERS for prime minister ,unfortunatly our lot havent the balls to do anything that will benifit the people ,thinking only of themselves is a great way of getting nice perks by joining the boards of large companies dedicated to exploiting all resources know to man :mad:

why cant we have a flat country like them :mad:

lets flatten the country ,all the spoil could be used to extend britain ,making more room to fish

[Leon Roskilly]

chesters1:

why cant we have a flat country like them    :mad:  

'cos it make cycling too hard!!

 

I lived and worked in holland for 9 months, and continued my habit of cycling to work.

 

Mile after mile, battling into an uremitting headwind blowing across a flat and boring landscape, often into driven rain .

 

Give me hills anyday!

 

Once you get to the top, as well as pausing to admire the view, at least you can go wheeeeeeeee!! down the other side, and coast half way up the next one

 

Tight Pedals - leon

[Ken L]

Hi Leon.

I'm only to well aware of what can be done when anglers get the ear of government and show a willingness to concede that some areas need to be declared no go zones for all fishing and to contribute to reef building and pro licence buy out schemes. I'm currently in Australia where these issues and the creation of artificial reefs are major talking points among local government and anglers.

Here:

Reef zoneing is subject to real consultation with interested parties including anglers, charter skippers and dive guides.

Money raised from angling permits (in some states you need to have a licence to fish either salt or fresh water) goes on restocking or pro licence buy out schemes.

and

Reef building is a successful small industry (look at any offshore report for the Darwin area and it'll mention catches on Bottlewasher reef - no prizes for guessing that it was once an industrial bottlewasher) that provides fantastic fishing close to shore.

 

Sadly, in the UK:

Anglers screem and winge at the prospect of any restriction of access or imposition of bag limits even if it's bloody obvious that these will improve their fishing in the long term or a required because the marine enviroment is being degraded as a result of bait digging etc.

There are howls of outrage everytime a licence for sea fishing is mentioned.

All money raised from existing licence schemes goes straight into treasury with no transparent use of the funds for improvement of the enviroment, stocking (other than with carp or barbel) or comersial licence buy outs - in fact as a predator angler, I have to put up with paying for a licence so that the fish I want to catch can be activly removed from many waterways !!

The single solitary success in terms of creating sanctuary areas is with bass, and that took a virtual collapse of the fishery. Now that the deepwater winter locations for bass have been comersialy identified, there is another crisis for these fish and no sign of a positive move from national or EU government to protect them.

Even cod are being fished to extinction by trawlers that break the polar ice to get at them when they're breeding.

 

I maintain that there is no will to protect and no hope to save the saltwater recrational fishery in the UK without a total about face in the atitudes of anglers, government and pro fishermen.

I noticed that you were forced to cite an example from outside to the UK to suport your point and that's the way it's going to stay for the forseeable future.

With all due respect, I know you work tielessly and endlessly for the good of saltwater fishing in the UK but even you must get the feeling that you're ******* into the wind.

[Leon Roskilly]

Ken L:

I maintain that there is no will to protect and no hope to save the saltwater recrational fishery in the UK without a total about face in the atitudes of anglers, government and pro fishermen.

Things don't change overnight.

 

No one can deny that there is a growing desire for change within Recreational Sea Angling, and our organisations are starting to wake up to it.

 

BASS started the ball rolling.

 

NFSA, just last year recognised that Conservation is the primary concern of its members, and is now coming to terms with that, and with what it has now to do.

 

The National Mullet Club has appointed a Conservation officer.

 

Membership of SACN is increasing.

 

We are starting to feel our power, starting to make a difference.

 

The review of the CFP acknowledges Recreational Sea Anglers as Stakeholders, and DEFRA has supported that. Unthinkable and heavily opposed by entrenched interests, that door was cracked open by anglers.

 

Yes, we have a long, long way to go, but the first steps have been taken and mindsets are changing.

 

Nothing is pre-ordained. Change happens when people start to believe that it's possible.

 

And when they start act on that belief.

 

It's starting.

 

Tight Lines - leon

[spasor]

Are we sea anglers helpless?

I always read Leons` postings and reply to the various bodies he suggests.

Last time I did a follow through? I got a reply from my M.P. within 36hrs!!!

My M.P. is listening. Maybe yours would if he got enough hassle?

Give it a try. You voted the waster in!! Make him work for you.

Paul.

[Leon Roskilly]

quote:

---

Originally posted by spasor:

[QB]I always read Leons` postings and reply to the various bodies he suggests.QB]

---

And boy are blokes like you making an impact!

 

'Them' have been taken by surprise at the number of sea anglers waking up and taking the trouble to write.

 

Often consultations aimed at getting a response from 'stakeholders' (an intended term for fishermen, fish processors etc) have been inundated with responses from recreational anglers!

 

All very disturbing for some! Finding which side of their bread is where the real butter is

 

Keep it up Spasor!!

 

Tight Lines - leon

Sea Anglers' Conservation Network

http://www.anglersnet.co.uk/sacn/

 

ps Why not join the SACN for free and get involved even more! (Join at the website)

[Ken L]

OK, lets assume that the "Stakeholder" tag is a real change in the political landscape and not just another piece of spin from our estiemed leaders. What we need is every tackle shop in the land to post up details of the local MP/MEP and invite customers to contact them to wave the flag of recriational angling.

After all, what have they got to loose ? A report featured on the BBC news website yesterday indicated that the North sea is comercially extinct as a cod fishery, so they can hardly say that the needs of the pro fishery come first anymore.

 

For the record, whilst I haven't written to an MP, I have contacted local councils in Devon and other areas to voice my concerns about inshore gill netting and the discharge of raw sewage and made it very clear that these issues affect my choice of UK holiday destination. Sadly, I've yet to recieve any responce......

[Leon Roskilly]

Ken L:

For the record, whilst I haven't written to an MP, I have contacted local councils in Devon and other areas to voice my concerns about inshore gill netting and the discharge of raw sewage and made it very clear that these issues affect my choice of UK holiday destination. Sadly, I've yet to recieve any responce......

That can be sooooo frustrating!

 

It doesn't mean that they haven't taken any notice though!

 

When writing to a council, the letter eventually goes to a council officer in the department dealing with the issue.

 

What I have found makes a difference is copying the letter to your own elected councillor (if you live in the council's area), and/or finding out the name and address of the councillor who is likely to have an interest in the subject and copying them in.

 

Council officers become a bit more responsive if their political masters are being involved.

 

Regarding gill netting, the place to take such issues to is the Local Sea Fisheries Committee (there's a list of these on the SACN pages).

 

Again try to find out who is supposed to represent the interests of recreational anglers on the committee, and copy them in.

 

If you let me have your email address, I'll send you some bumf on illegal netting, and on efforts being made to involve Devon Council in promoting the concerns of recreational angling down that way.

 

Tight Lines - leon

Sea Anglers' Conservation Network

http://www.anglersnet.co.uk/sacn/

 

[ 18 July 2002, 06:59 AM: Message edited by: Leon Roskilly ]

[Newt]

Just saw a news item that South Carolina, USA has bought a large number of old subway cars from New York City and is putting them into the sea to establish the beginnings of new reefs and to add to existing ones.

 

Each one is about the size of a normal train car so they should be able to do a nice bit of reef building.

 

And you can look Here for links to many organizations dedicated to artificial reef building including the Artifical Reef Consortium (ARC) which is active in the South West of England and the European Artificial Reef Research Network (EARRN) which should be concerned with your area as well.

 

note: sorry if either of the above is already listed in this thread. Doing an edit now and can't see the remainder of the posts.

 

[ 19 July 2002, 12:07 AM: Message edited by: Newt ]

[DCB]

Leon - try Bruno Broughton on the artificial reefs, I know he did quite a bit of research some time ago.

DCB